Courtside
by rightxhere
Summary: [SamCam] It’s some months after the team went looking for Teal’c, and they’re all headed to a game of basketball. Hints of Daniel & Vala.


**Title: **Courtside  
**Author:** Demelza  
**Fandom:** Stargate SG1  
**Pairings:** Sam/Cam, Daniel/Vala  
**Disclaimer:** Stargate SG1 and its characters belong to Brad Wright, Fox and all their other respective owners. No infringements of these copyrights are intended, and are used here without permission purely as a means of entertainment. Any and all original characters are the author's creation, and may be freely used elsewhere.  
**Spoilers:** Very vague spoilers for Season 10, Episode 17  
**Rating: **O13  
**Warnings: **A little language  
**Word Count: **2,837  
**Summary:** It's some months after the team went looking for Teal'c, and they're all headed to a game of basketball.  
**Note #1: **Sam and Cam are in a pre-established relationship, circa episode 14 of the same season. It doesn't matter if you haven't seen that episode, I don't spoil anything from it.  
**Note #2:** Just a little light-hearted fic to get me through all the angst I'm writing for Sam/Cam and my other ships at the moment. I rarely ever write fluff, so I hope it's not overly fluffy!  
**Beta Reader:** Thanks to my dear friend and sis, Jill for the wonderful beta! As always, any errors are my own...I am only human after all :)

It was quarter past three, and SG1 was leaving the base, headed for the basketball court the SGC had hired these past four weekends for tournament basketball games between teams designated by General Landry. As it stood, Team Alpha, consisting of teams one, three and twenty-four, was ahead in points, but the team's biggest adversary, Team Delta (made up of teams six, eleven and fifteen), was only three points behind them. Vala had said tonight would be a tight match, and she wasn't wrong. It would be.

"Delta's got a couple good plays lined up," Cam said, chewing gum.

"And somehow you just..._managed_ to see them?" Daniel asked, making Sam smile inwardly as she limped just a few steps behind them all.

"What can I say?" Cam said, casting a grin in the archaeologist's direction. "I'm pretty good at persuasion."

They all laughed.

"That, Colonel Mitchell," Teal'c began, "Was a good one."

"And it's true!" he exclaimed, defiantly. Teal'c smiled wider, walking a few steps faster, and Cam stopped in his own, watching as the Jaffa, Vala and Daniel walked on ahead. Shaking his head, he cast a look sideways at Sam just as she stopped beside him. "Don't tell me that ankle's still not feelin' any better, Sam."

"Sorry Cam, I really wish it was."

He stared at her. "No you don't."

She gave him a perplexed look for a moment, when she shrugged with a nod. "Okay, you're right. I don't."

"And it's a damn shame," Cam sighed. "You spent years playin' against your father and brother, learnin' all the moves, and you're gonna just...throw it away. It's a damn shame."

She laughed gently. "Yeah well, if you'd really wanted me to play you would have been more careful during our session this morning."

He grinned. "Yeah," he mused, getting that look in his eyes like he was remembering the events that had taken place.

Sam shook her head at him, when Vala called out to them. "Come on Fly Boy, move your ass," she said with a nod in the rest of the team's direction. "Daniel won't let you drive if you don't."

Cam stood there a moment, staring after her, his gaze falling to her ass and immediately his lips curled with an even more devious smile than the one he'd worn that morning. "Yes ma'am," he laughed, pushing forward and following along side her.

"You ma'am me one more time..." she playfully warned, glaring sidelong at him.

"You'll what?"

She saw that look in his eye, heard the tone in his voice, the one that said he was daring her. She didn't say another word, and neither did he, not until they had stopped by Teal'c's black SUV.

"Colonel," Cam smiled, opening the front passenger door for her – Daniel, Vala and Teal'c were already seated in the back, at Vala's earlier request.

"Thank you Colonel," Sam smiled, scrunching her nose and narrowing her eyes at him in a playful look of warning. She eased herself up into the front of the truck with little difficulty, allowed him to close the door behind her when she was seated. He was walking around the front of the truck, and she smiled wide when he winked at her.

"Someone's a flirt," Vala said aloud, and Sam's forehead burrowed. She looked over her shoulder at the other woman, a little confused. "Daniel," Vala said, running her hand up his leg. "He's very flirtatious."

Daniel stared at Sam. "Can't believe everything that comes out of her mouth, Sam."

The front driver's side door opened, and Sam, her gaze lingering on Daniel's for a moment, turned to Cam. He climbed in and pulled the door shut behind him, then just sat and stared at her.

Self conscious, she laughed. "What?"

He cocked his head a little to the side. "I ain't gonna take you to the ice cream parlor if you don't buckle up, Missy."

She pulled a face at him, pulled her seatbelt over her shoulder and locked it in just as he did his. Their hands touched and her breath caught in her throat. "All buckled up," she said after a moment, slowly pulling her hand back and resting it on her lap.

"Excellent," he smiled. He sat squarely in his seat, looked in the rearview mirror at the others. "All buckled up kids?"

"Yup," Daniel said, looking right at Vala. She, however, was pouting. "What now?"

"I gotta go potty," she said, batting her eyelids at him.

He gave a half smile, before giving her a serious look. "Hold it in."

Vala's mouth dropped open.

"What about you, T-man?" Cam asked, still looking in the rearview mirror. "You ready to roll?"

Teal'c, looking sideways at Vala, looked into the rearview mirror at Cam. A few seconds passed and he pulled out a pair of sunglasses from his front pocket, slipped them on and nodded. "I am, Colonel Mitchell."

"That's ma boy," Cam grinned, before looking sideways at Sam. Their gazes locked for a moment, when she looked away, shaking her head. "Time to get this show on the road then ladies and gentlemen. Buckle up, and please keep your arms inside the moving vehicle at all times."

The engine roared to life, and Vala frowned. "Hasn't he said that once before?"

"Five times," Daniel corrected, putting on his own sunglasses.

"He's rather boring, isn't h—" She didn't get a chance to finish, Cam slammed the stick into first and planted his foot on the gas, taking off fast and throwing her back against the seat. "Son of a bitch!"

They finally arrived at the court, and Sam limped inside while the others entered in through the players entrance. She saw General Hammond, visiting from Washington DC, along with Generals O'Neill and Landry down by the sidelines. General O'Neill excused himself from the others, and Sam smiled at him as he approached.

"Carter," O'Neill smiled.

"General O'Neill," she said, smiling back a little more.

"Not playing tonight?" he said.

"Sprained ankle," she explained, pointing down at her right foot.

He raised his eyebrows, curiously. "Mission?"

"Training for the game."

"Ouch."

"Only hurts when I stand on it too long."

He nodded, staring at her, when he seemed to suddenly understand her meaning and he stepped aside with another nod. "Right. Gotcha. Gotta sit down, rest that ankle."

"Something like that Sir," Sam said, casting him a thankful smile. She took a few steps ahead, when she stopped and turned back to him. "Thank you."

O'Neill smiled again. "Sure."

She couldn't help but chuckle, and smiled back at him, before finding her way to her seat beside Siler and Doctor Lam.

"How's that ankle, Colonel Carter?" Lam asked.

Sam looked back at the doctor with a smile. "Good."

The two women stared at each other for a long moment, when Lam shook her head. "You're as bad a liar as he is."

"What?" Confused, Sam's forehead creased in a frown. "Who?"

"Colonel Mitchell," Lam answered, before casting her a look. "Three months ago, after you all returned from finding Teal'c? He vowed and declared there wasn't a thing wrong with him. It wasn't until the General ordered him to let me take an x-ray of his fractured ribs that he admitted he was in a _little_ pain."

"Well, that's Cam for you," Sam said, a small smile pursing her lips. "He's stubborn."

"With good reason," Lam said, "And while I've only known him a few months longer than you, I know when someone's in pain."

"Okay, okay. It does hurt...a little. But I'm sitting now, and honestly it feels a lot better than it has all day," Sam promised. She smiled. "Thank you though."

"Sure thing, but when they get to the end of the first quarter I'm going to make sure an ice pack is brought up here for that ankle. Doctor's orders."

It wasn't long after before almost everyone – SGC personnel, and their family and friends – were all seated, and the game was finally in full swing.

Sam was seated three rows back from the sideline of the game, and watched intently as SG1, SG3 and SG24 (Team Alpha) played against SG6, SG11 and SG15 (Team Delta). Despite all pretenses, she actually did miss not being able to be part of the game. Until Cam led SG1, she hadn't really taken to the sport. She had played with her dad and brother some growing up, but was always so busy with trying to figure out the way the cosmos worked she hadn't put any thought to actually having an enjoyable time in other ways.

And then there was basketball on the base. Vala had been the first to convince Sam to join in on a game. For the years past she had always avoided it. There were reasons. A lot of them, but when Vala asked she was met with sudden realization that the reasons were no longer so important to her, and she agreed to join the foursome for a game. Just _one_ game.

Four months later, and she joined them every chance she could.

The whistle from the referee sounded, and Sam was brought away from her thoughts. Someone from the Team Alpha was hurt on the court, and her heart raced in concern that it might be Daniel, Teal'c, Vala or even Cam. Lam rushed down to the court, and Sam watched as everyone circled around the fallen player like vultures.

Minutes passed, seeming like hours, when medics were called in with a stretcher and Sam cursed inwardly. She wanted to go down there, to make sure no one was badly hurt, but when she counted each of SG1 standing amongst the standing players she relaxed enough to stay in her seat.

The player was taken off court, the game was called to resume, with the score standing at three points ahead for Team Alpha. She smiled seeing the numbers on the board, watched as the referee made a judgment call on the incident that had just occurred. She hoped the play went to their team, but no such luck. The play went to Team Delta.

Immediately, she heard yelling coming from Vala. There were strange mutterings around her in confusion, and Sam smiled. She was swearing. _In Ancient._ While it had come as a rather large surprise when Vala had originally tried convincing Daniel to teach her some basic words, it was to no surprise now, as much then, as to what purpose she had wanted to learn to speak the language for.

Colonel Donovan, head of SG6, went moving to the sideline for a drink from the Waterboy, and Sam's gaze locked on Cam's. He wore the kind of smile that had melted her heart that first day when he had taken charge of SG1 and spoke with her via video link. He'd made her promise that day to rejoin the team if the world needed saving, and sitting there now, she was glad she'd kept her promise.

The referee called for the game to continue, and she let out a long exhale, giving Cam a simple nod, which he returned, before heading back to the team.

The game carried on swiftly, and it wasn't long afterward that the game came to another stop as the second quarter ended. She smiled, her eyes continuously on Cam as he made his way to the sideline for a drink and to wipe the sweat from his face. He, Daniel, Vala and Teal'c had played a strongly defensive game, and had taken the team ahead by a further nine points, much to Team Delta's disappointment.

When he finished wiping his face, Cam stopped at the bottom of the sideline, and Sam smiled wide at him.

"Hey Carter!" he yelled up at her.

She laughed. "What?" she yelled back.

"You enjoyin' the game?"

Vala, Daniel and Teal'c stepped up on either side of him, and she smiled, albeit slightly nervous. Something was up. She could feel it. "Yeah!"

"Good!"

"Ask her you fool!" Vala yelled, her arm draping around Daniel's neck, who wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him.

"Ask me what!" Sam yelled, her and Cam's eyes locked still.

Cam still hadn't answered, he was smiling so wide, and Sam couldn't help the widening smile that she was giving back to him.

"He wants t-!" Vala was cut off by Daniel, who quickly turned her to him and covered her mouth with his, kissing her, which seemed to turn into a show when she wound her arms around his neck and moaned rather loudly.

Sam laughed at the sight, while a large number of this side of the gymnasium cheered. She was shaking her head, when she slowly looked at Cam again, his gaze hadn't moved, and it was starting to do things to her. _He_ did things to her. Made her feel things no one knew about. Well...she thought no one knew. Obviously the rest of the team knew, but they had kept things quiet so no one from the Government who might disband the team would ever know – but clearly Daniel, Teal'c and Vala – Vala most of all – knew something was going on between them. She only wondered how long they had known.

Suddenly the referee called for the game to resume, and she saw Cam's face contort a little, as if he was cursing inwardly.

The teams went back out and played as hard as they could, and Sam couldn't stop thinking about Cam. Or, for that matter, about the first time they had shared a kiss – it had been that day they had gone in search of Teal'c. She had been the first to awaken after being stunned, and she remembered how she had looked around frantically for Cam. Then, when she found him, she had rushed over and knelt at his side just as he was regaining consciousness. It had been purely by impulse that she had pressed her lips to his, so relieved that he was okay. She had no idea where the want and need to kiss him had come from, but every part of her was glad it had taken that very moment to come out.

The last minutes of the game were in full swing, breaking her from her memories, and she watched in delight as Team Alpha played a good offensive game, but was worried when she saw Cam stagger a few times. It made her sit forward on her seat, watching him intently.

Out of nowhere, Teal'c managed to get hold of the ball, tossed it to Daniel, who side-passed it to Vala, who threw it to a waiting Cam, but the moment he caught the ball he dropped it, and within seconds he was free-falling to the court.

Sam's breath caught in her chest, the referee blew the whistle to stop the time, and she made her way down onto the court as fast as her racing heart and throbbing ankle would allow. She reached his side in mere moments, pushing her way past Team Delta players who were surrounding a groaning Cam.

Daniel and Vala were trying to get them to move, when Landry yelled at everyone to stand back.

Sam, finally free of the players, limped over to Cam's side. "Cam..." she breathed, frantic as she crouched down and helped him roll onto his side.

He grabbed hold of the front of her blouse, "Marry me," he groaned through clenched teeth, staring up at her with bloodshot eyes.

"What?" she almost gasped, her heart racing faster.

"I'm dyin', and you're meant to say yes."

She smiled painfully, tears welling in her eyes. "I am?"

"Yeah," Cam nodded, writhing in pain. "If you don't say yes, Sam, I'm gonna ask that old lady neighbor of yours..."

Gentle laughter escaped her lips, and she nodded. "Okay. Yes. Yes, I'll marry you," she cried, softly.

"Good," he said, smiling a tearful smile, "'Bout damn time too."

Vala squealed, and Sam looked up to see her hug Daniel tight. Teal'c, who now stood at Daniel's right, bowed his head in approval, while Daniel wore a broad smile to say he thought it was about time too.

Emotions overwhelming her, Sam looked down at Cam again, caught his weak smile with one of her own. "We better get you to an emergency room."

"After you do me one thing," he said, shifting painfully into sitting position so they were now face to face.

"Anything," she breathed.

Cam smiled, lifted his trembling hand to her cheek. "Let me kiss you," he murmured.

"Go on, kiss him!" Vala squealed again.

Sam laughed, "Okay. On one condition."

"Name it."

"Don't fake pain just to ask me to marry you," she said, "Because, you're a damn lousy liar."

Cam, a little shocked that she had read him so easily, finally nodded. "Okay. Deal," he grinned, before slowly leaning in and capturing her mouth with his, and kissing her tenderly.


End file.
